making cuffs

[crossdraw]

I want to make a set of cuffs and have been looking on line at pictures for ideas but am only finding fancy or snap cuffs. I am looking for something plain that looks like everyday working cuffs, something a cowboy wouldn't care about actually using.
I like the idea of lace-up cuffs or even half lace and half buckle.
Which would be period correct ? ( I am after the working cowboy look).
Anyone have any pictures of plain cuffs?

Another question I have, should the ends of the cuff be rolled or can I just burnish the edges and maybe put a stitch line parallel to the edge. I wasn't planning on a lining.

[Slowhand Bob]

Your cuffs can be as plain or as fancy as your tastes dictate.  A basic pattern can be cut and the fancy stuff added or left off at your discression.   If you think that you might like a variety of choices to choose from try the pattern pack by Ghormley, I think it is on the CAS classified site, or check with Tandy and Hidecrafters for additional pattern packs.  Rolled cuffs add a bit of class without looking guady, in my opinion, but are definitely not a required addition unless you are a serious working cowpoke.  Soft liners do cut down on shifting and abrasion to shirt sleeves a bit.

There was a link on the internet showing how to design and make your own basic fitted cuffs.  If memory serves right, it was at Trailriders wesite.  If it is still available, you should check it out.  It has plans and instructions for making several cowboy leather projects and they are provided free for the new leatherworker.  Thanks to pards like Trailrider and others here, who are willing to share their talents, we could be in a golden age of leathercraft revival.

I can not find that Trailrider link at the moment but will add it later if I can find it.     

[St. George]

You can find cuff patterns at Tandy Leather - www.tandyleatherfactory.com - that will suit you well.

The 'snap' cuff appeared very late in the era - when japanned steel snaps were in use - and they rusted.

The buckle and lace was more common.

As to lining and rolled edge - you can do it, but don't need to, if you burnish and flare out the edges neatly - along with burnishing the inside surface of the cuff.

A pair with a simple single-line border edge and minimal tooling was a very common sight, since the 'tooling' was often factory embossing.

Good Luck!

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[crossdraw]

I have the pattern from Eightbits and thought I would give that a try. I may use the lace up and buckle combination. I guess I could use snaps and paint them to look rusted.

One of Eightbits patterns looks like it laces the full length, how would you put those on and get them tied off?

How do you flare the edges?

[St. George]

Don't paint the buckles to look rusted - very few can pull that off.

Just paint 'em a Gloss Black and put a clear coat of varnish or other 'clear' paint - and that'll imitate the 'japanned finish' of the times.

If you know how to burnish - you know how to flare - just bear down on the inside edge of the part that bears against the wrist bones, and make certain you've given it a smooth tapered edge that orients outward.

You don't have to do any more than that - and if you can burnish a 'round' edge - you don't need to flare it.

The point of the exercise is comfort - since a raw, unfinished edge is like a small hacksaw blade.

You want to avoid that...

As to the one thatseemingly laces full length - I doubt that it does - since it wouldn't allow for your wrist to slip through.

The lace and buckle arrangement works well.

Incidentally - you can make your own pattern form from shirt cardboard and figure out the length and lacing hole arrangement easily.

Just arrange your lacing so that it's decorative when finished - in my experience - that amounts to four pair of lacing holes.

Remember - the Cowboy had time on his hands in the winter months - and he had access to the various odds and ends used to repair saddlery and other tack.

If he were of a mind to, he could fashion any number of leather items - and often did - so you're not limited to 'plain' - not if there are nickel spots available, and you have an artistic bent.

Again, Good Luck.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[crossdraw]

I picked up the old west collection patterns for cuffs today, haven't had time to check my paper pattern from eightbits against the old west pattern but it looks like it should be close to the same size.
Now I need to give some thought on how fancy I should make them. What would cowboys use to decorate their cuffs, What would they use if they didn't have tooling stamps? Did they make their own? If so, how? I think I want to keep them pretty basic, maybe some type of edge design along with the stitching line.

Sorry for all the questions, leather working is something I have never done ......well making anything I would wear. 

[Slowhand Bob]

Most owner made cuffs would probly have been fairly modest as to its decoration.  Use your stitch groover to add one or two extra grooves spaced an eighth inch apart inside the stitch groove.  Very simple but somewhat effective.  Beyond that, what would a working cowboy have done on his?  Something very simple and basic could be done with a clip corner nail but you must be carful to not get to buisy.  Because a cowboy could have easily learned to do more advanced work, it would be highly unlikely that any one particular bunkhouse cowboy would carry around a tool kit and be even moderately experienced at stamping/carving leather.

[crossdraw]

I have a few more questions.
I am looking for ideas to modestly dress up the cuffs other than stamping, any suggestions? These are part lace up and part buckle.

I cut a stitching groove around the perimeter of the cuffs mainly to add some design to the cuff, should I stitch the groove or leave it alone. I am not using a liner on this first pair.

Thanks for any help.

[Slowhand Bob]

Crossdraw, stitching is fine and I consider it to actually be somewhat decorative but there is another way.  On thick leather I have actually stitch grooved, dampened and then rolled in a good over stitch pattern in the groove.  Simple but low level enhancement and if you so desired you could take one of the fine, or new super fine, 'Sharpie' pens in a darker contrasting color (I like black on browns), and go over the finished groove.  I forget who I picked this up from but as a disclaimer "Slowhand Bob never had an orriginal thought in his life" so anything from me is pretty much just being passed along and I take no credit (or fault).

As to contrasting colors, I do like to use black as an edge finish dye on medium to dark shades of browns and dark brown on light brown and tans.  The contrast looks good, in a conservative way, and can be done to acheive a more blended color.  The way I do this is to add my first heavy coat of edge dye right on top of the main dye as soon as its applied, has a tendency to bleed into the dampness.  After everthing dries well, I go back and add one more coat of edge die for a more solid contrast, just on the very edge.

If you feel your hobby will warrant enough expense to spend money on the right tools to do an easy job that adds great impact to the appearance, get a couple of spot setting tools and a corresponding spots to dress up your projects.  I'm not a big fan of spots on my personal gear but must admit that they are mighty purty on richy looking leather projects.  Alas, Slowhand Bob was little more than a scallywag and well looked the part!!!  There is a good tutorial on spot setting in the video, as put out by WILD ROSE TRADING, and lots more leatherworking techniques to boot. 

[crossdraw]

Here are the cuffs. I need to find better lacing but other than that they are finished. The stamping is a 12 point aircraft bolt head and the stain is Tandy's one step.
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/jetmechphotos/cuffs002.jpg

[Slowhand Bob]

I really like them.  You probly got as much or more design in them than the average bunkhouse special would have.

[Forty Rod]

Those look really good. 

[crossdraw]

Thanks for the complements. They were fun to make, next I will have to try a holster but I may wait until I take one of Will Ghormley's classes.

[Slowhand Bob]

Another good project for getting some time in with the knife is spur straps.  There are plenty of patterns out there and Will offers what is probly the most diverse set of plans in his series pack.  And the great thing is, these are another one of those items that can be dressed up or down to give give the look you want from pure gawdy to a bunkhouse special.

[St. George]

By using that aircraft bolt as a stamp, you did what the cowboy did - you used what was available.

A very nice job.

If you want a nice contrast - get some of Tandy's Rawhide lace and you should be pleased with the result.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I just got in from Oregon. Nice job, pard. I also like the aircraft bolt used as a stamp. I may have to add one to my collection of stamps.

[Dalton Masterson]

Very nice! Good idea with the bolt/stamp. I just read this post, and was gonna post a pic of an original set of cuffs, but dont need to now. Yours look pretty similar. Good job. DM

[crossdraw]

Thanks again for the complements.
Marshal - The 12 point bolt was quick, I just had to file off some markings on the top of the head. Thanks for posting how to make stamps from bolts.

ST. George and DM - Thanks. The bolt idea came from Marshal.

[Dalton Masterson]

Alright, heres a pic of the original cuffs I have. Pretty plain.


DM

[Cooleemee Edd]

My cuffs started off life as cuffs for a Roman soldier for the Easter Pageant at the Baku International Fellowship church here in Baku, Azerbaijan. I made three sets, they laced up, and they were made to be really tight. So when I decided to join become a CAS shooter, I took out the biggest pair of cuffs and had a good look at them. What I did was to take some softer leather and stitch it to the lace-up portion, doubled, so it was stitched up on both sides of the hard leather. Then I put lacing holes in the looped-ends of the soft leather and used leather thongs to tighten them up. I find that I can pretty much squeeze my hands through the cuffs with a shirt on and not have to unlace them most of the time. Sometimes I get some help if I want to unlace them for a thick shirt, then relace them back.

These are made of really heavy, plain leather, and my first attempt, so they don't have any stamping or anything fancy on them. I didn't think that snaps would be appropriate either. I don't have any close-up photos of them, unfortunately, and don't have them with me. There is another system for closing cuffs, like a "hook and eye." I have made these for leather armor (again for the Easter pageant). You just squeeze the leather together with one hand to get them to open and close. I used coat-hanger wire to make these deals and "hardened" them on the gas stove at home, dunking them in cold water. It would take about three of these for a cuff I think.

If you are intersted in seeing what these "hook and eye" things look like, you can PM me and I'll do a page of sketches on my laptop.